1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic card connector, and particularly to an electronic card connector with an improved grounding plate to facilitate soldering of terminals of the electronic card connector to a printed circuit board.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Referring to FIG. 5, a conventional IC card connector 8 mounted on a printed circuit board 83 comprises a dielectric housing 801 having a mating surface 802 against which an inserted IC card abuts, a plurality of terminals 81 for electrically connecting with the inserted IC card, and a grounding plate 80 for dissipating electrostatic charges on the IC card. The grounding plate 80 has L-shaped soldering tails 82 extending onto the printed circuit board 83. The terminals 81 are soldered to the printed circuit board 83 at positions between the housing 801 and the soldering tails 82. Since the terminals 81 are nested in the grounding plate 80, the soldering portions of the terminals 81 are hidden by the soldering tails 82. Accordingly, after the grounding plate 80 has been mounted to the housing 801, it is difficult to inspect and re-solder the soldering portions of the terminals 81.
Hence, an improved IC card connector is desired to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
An object of the present invention is to provide an IC card connector with a grounding plate which facilitates inspection and re-soldering terminals thereof after the grounding plate has been secured to a printed circuit board
To achieve the above-mentioned object, an IC card connector in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention includes a dielectric housing with a plurality of terminals, a metal shield covering the housing and having an actuating rod for actuating an IC card, and a metal grounding plate located between the shield and the housing.
The housing provides a space for receiving the IC card. The housing further provides a cross bar which defines a mating surface against which the IC card is inserted, and a front surface opposite the mating surface. The terminals are integrally molded within the cross bar. Mounting ends of the terminals protrude beyond the front surface of the cross bar.
The grounding plate includes a base extending into the space, a pair of bridges depending from a front edge of the base and abutting against the mating surface of the cross bar, an opening defined between the bridges and the base and encompassing the terminals, and a plurality of soldering fingers bending perpendicularly and rearwardly from a lower edge of each bridge. The base forms a flange extending from a front edge thereof into a depression defined in the crossbar, for securing the grounding plate on the cross bar.
A second embodiment is essentially similar to the first embodiment. However, a grounding plate includes a base secured on the cross bar, a pair of bridges extending from the base over a front surface anda lower surface of the cross bar, and a plurality of soldering fingers projecting rearwardly from the bridges beyond the mating surface.
Similarly, in a third embodiment, a grounding plate forms a plurality of soldering fingers stamped upwardly from a base of the grounding plate. The soldering fingers are positioned at a rear side of the mating surface.
In the three embodiments, the mounting ends of the terminals and the soldering fingers of the grounding plate are positioned at front and rear sides of the cross bar, respectively. Soldering portions of the mounting ends are thus substantially distanced from those of the soldering fingers. Accordingly, after the grounding plate has been mounted to the housing, inspection and re-soldering of the mounting ends is facilitated.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.